This invention relates to information search and retrieval systems and more particularly to search and retrieval systems which utilize in whole or in part image processing techniques.
As is known in the art, a digital image is an image which may be represented as an array of pixels with each of the pixels represented by a digital word. Often the array is provided as a two-dimensional array of pixels. With the increase in the number of available digital pictures, the need has arisen for more complete and efficient annotation (attaching identifying labels to images) and indexing (accessing specific images from the database) systems. Digital image/video database annotation and indexing services provide users, such as advertisers, news agencies and magazine publishers with the ability to browse through, via queries to an image search system, and retrieve images or video segments from such databases.
As is also known, a content based image retrieval system is an image retrieval system which classifies, detects and retrieves images from digital libraries by utilizing directly the content of the image. Content based image processing systems refer to systems which process information in an image by classifying or otherwise identifying subject matter within the image. Such systems may be used in a variety of applications including, but not limited to, art gallery and museum management, architectural image and design, interior design, remote sensing and management of earth resources, geographic information systems, scientific database management, weather forecasting, retailing, fabric and fashion design, trademark and copyright database management, law enforcement and criminal investigation and picture archiving, communication systems and inspection systems including circuit inspection systems.
Conventional content based image/video retrieval systems utilize images or video frames which have been supplemented with text corresponding to explanatory notes or key words associated with the images. A user retrieves desired images from an image database, for example, by submitting textual queries to the system using one or a combination of these key words. One problem with such systems is that they rely on restricted predefined textual annotations rather than on the content of the still or video images in the database.
Still other systems attempt to retrieve images based on a specified shape. For example, to find images of a fish, such systems would be provided with a specification of a shape of a fish. This specification would then be used to find images of a fish in the database. One problem with this approach, however, is that fish do not have a standard shape and thus the shape specification is limited to classifying or identifying fish having the same or a very similar shape.
Still other systems classify images or video frames by using image statistics including color and texture. The difficulty with these systems is that for a given query image, even though the images located by the system may have the same color, textural, or other statistical properties as the example image, the images may not be part of the same class as the query image. That is, if the query image belongs to the class of images identified as human faces, then systems which classify images or video frames based image statistics including color and texture may return images which fall within the desired color and texture image statistics but which are not human faces.
It would thus be desirable to provide a system and technique which may be used in a general image search and retrieval system and which allows searching of a plurality of different types of images including but not limited to human or animal faces, fabric patterns, symbols, logos, art gallery and museum management, architectural image and design, interior design, remote sensing and management of earth resources, geographic information systems, scientific database management, weather forecasting, retailing, fabric and fashion design, trademark and copyright database management, law enforcement and criminal investigation, picture archiving, communication systems and inspection systems including circuit inspection systems. It would be particularly desirable to have the system be capable of automatically learning which factors are most important in searching for a particular image or for a particular type of image.
In accordance with the present invention, image processing system includes a search engine coupled to an image analyzer. The image analyzer and search engine are coupled to one or more feature modules which provide the information necessary to describe how to optimize the image analyzer for a particular application. With this particular arrangement, an image processing system which can rapidly match a primary image to a target iomage is provided. Each feature module defines particular regions of an image and particular measurements to make on pixels within the defined image region as well as the measurements to make on neighboring pixels in neighboring image regions for a given application. The feature modules thus specify parameters and characteristics which are important in a particular image match/search routine. The plug-in-modules communicate this application specific information to image analyzer. The information specified by a particular feature module will vary greatly depending upon the particular application. By using the feature modules, generic search engines and image analyzers can be used. Thus the system can be rapidly adapted to operate in applications as widely varying as inspection of printed circuit boards or integrated circuits to searching for trademark images. In each application, the particular parameters and characteristics which are important are provided by the feature module.
It should thus be noted that the techniques of the present invention have applicability to a wide variety of different types of image processing applications. For example, the techniques may be used in biometric applications and systems to identify and or verify the identity of a particular person or thing, inspection systems including inspection and test of printed circuit boards (including without limitation any type of circuit board or module or integrated circuit) in all stages of manufacture from raw boards to boards which are fully assembled and/or fully loaded with components and sub-assemblies (including hybrids), including solder joint inspection, post paste inspection and post placement inspection, inspection and test of semiconductor chips in all stages of manufacture, from wafers to finished chips, image or video classification systems used to search image or video archives for a particular type of image or a particular type of video clip, and medical image processing applications to identify particular characteristics in an image, such as a tumor. Thus the phrase xe2x80x9cimage processing applicationxe2x80x9d or more simply xe2x80x9capplicationxe2x80x9d as used hereinbelow refers to a wide variety of uses.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a process for comparing two images includes the steps of (a) aligning a target image and a selected image, (b) dividing the selected image into a plurality of image regions, (c) collapsing properties in predetermined image regions, (d) selecting a primary image region, (e) selecting a target image region, and (f) comparing one or more properties of the selected primary image region to corresponding one or more properties in the target image region. With this particular arrangement, a technique for comparing rapidly two image is provided. By selecting predetermined features and image regions to compare between the two images, the amount of time require to process the images is reduced. By combining or collapsing features in a selected regions of an image for compact representation, a comparison of a relatively large amount of information can be accomplished rapidly.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a printed circuit board includes the steps of (a) performing a manufacturing operation on a printed circuit board; and (b) inspecting the result of the manufacturing operation by comparing an image of the actual operation being performed to a target image of the manufacturing operation. With this particular arrangement, the efficiency of manufacturing a printed circuit board is increases while reducing the cost of manufacturing the printed circuit board. The manufacturing can correspond to any one or more steps in the printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing process. For example, when the manufacturing process corresponds to a solder manufacturing process, then the inspection technique may be used before and/or after the post-paste, post-placement and post-reflow operations. For example, the manufacturing process can include the inspection before and or after solder application, component placement, solder reflow, solder joint inspection or any other manufacturing step. By inspecting after predetermined steps in the manufacturing process, it is possible to detect early defects in the manufacturing process which can be corrected prior to continuing the manufacturing process. By detecting defects early in the manufacturing process, the expense and time associated with manufacturing a PCB which cannot pass a final inspection test is provided.
In one embodiment, a camera captures an image of a printed circuit board and compares that image to a target image. The target image corresponds to an image of a PCB which has been properly manufactured in during that particular portion of the manufacturing process. For example, if the manufacturing step of interest is a solder paste application step, then the captured corresponds to an image of a printed circuit board (or portion thereof) to which solder paste has been applied. The target image corresponds to an image of a PCB (or portion thereof) having solder paste properly applied thereto. Predetermined features of the two images are compared and based on the results of the comparison, decision is rendered as to whether the solder-paste was properly applied to PCB currently undergoing the manufacturing process.